Container

ABSTRACT

An improved container particularly useful for foods is provided. The container includes a receptacle and a membrane adhered to a lip portion of the receptacle at an attachment zone extending around the entirety of the lip. An overcap is provided which is removably secured to the receptacle and includes a rib member on the interior of the lid engageable with the membrane adjacent the attachment zone of the membrane to the lip of the receptacle.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Containers are well known in the industry and in particular food containers. Containers take many forms and constructions. The manufacture of containers is typically a low margin business while a major effort in packaging is to produce better and more effective containers while either maintaining the price or preferably reducing the price. One particular form of package involves the use of a receptacle that has its mouth sealed with a membrane, which membrane can either be heat sealed or adhesively sealed to a lip surrounding the mouth of the container. These membranes can be of various materials and are used to provide a hermetic seal and also a tamper evident seal. An overcap is then provided for attachment to the container to protect the membrane. A flowable material for example a high liquid material may be contained in the receptacle. If such a receptacle is dropped, the membrane may separate from the receptacle from action by the stored contents, leaving the container unsealed and therefore un-saleable. The overcap provides little if any protection in this event. For convenience, the overcap is usually mechanically attached to the receptacle in a snap-lock manner or a friction fit. Such a construction leaves the container vulnerable to damage that could result in damage and hence scrap product.

Thus, there is a need for an improved membrane closed container.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention involves the provision of a membrane sealed container. The container includes a receptacle, a membrane attached to an upper lip portion of the container closing the mouth of the container in a sealed manner. A finger tab may be provided to facilitate removal of the membrane from the receptacle. A lid is provided that has a portion interengageable with a portion of the receptacle to releasably secure the lid to the receptacle. A rib may be attached to an inside surface of a top panel of the lid and be spaced inwardly from an outer edge portion of the lid overlying the membrane. A distal end portion of the rib engages at least a portion of the membrane in an area adjacent a zone in which the membrane is attached to the upper lip extending about at least a substantial portion of the mouth.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an exploded perspective view of the container of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view of the lid.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view of the lid and container with the lid and container attached to one another.

FIG. 4 is an enlarged sectional view of one portion of the lid and container to better show the detail of lid and receptacle.

FIG. 5 is a flow chart of a method of forming a filled and sealed container.

Like numbers throughout the various figures designate like or similar parts or structure.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A container designated generally 1, is provided. The container 1 includes a receptacle 3, a membrane closure 4 and an overcap 5. The container 1 may take any of many forms, shapes and sizes and includes structure as more detailed below.

The receptacle 3 includes a bottom wall structure 11 that is suitably shaped and sized for the receptacle 3 to rest on a supporting surface in a stable manner. A preferred bottom wall structure 11 will provide the structure to define a resting plane. The bottom wall structure 11 may be a generally flat panel or could have a depending ring to provide a space between a bottom panel portion and the underlying surface to provide an insulating gap of air. The receptacle 3 also includes a sidewall portion 12. In the illustrated structure, the sidewall 12 is generally frusto-conical and can be a straight taper or an arcuate taper shape providing a larger upper portion 14 than lower portion 15 to provide for nesting of one receptacle within another receptacle. As used herein, top and bottom are relative and positional terms that will be taken to mean those positions when the container is in its normally upright orientation. The receptacle 3 includes an upper lip 17 which circumscribes the upper portion of the receptacle 3 and defines an open mouth 18 opening into an interior chamber 20 of the receptacle 3. The transverse horizontal cross sectional shape of the receptacle 3 can be any suitable shape however, a round shape has been found convenient for use with many products. The lip 17 may be formed by molding or other forming process to provide an outwardly radially projecting flange or rib 22 on the upper portion 14 of the sidewall 12. The lip 17 may also be of a rolled construction forming a bead projecting outwardly from an upper portion of the sidewall. It is preferred that the lip 17 provide an undercut portion 25 for a purpose later described in one particular form of means for attachment of the overcap 5 to the receptacle 3. The lip 17 has an upwardly facing end portion 27 over which at least a portion of an outer marginal edge portion 29 of the membrane 4 can engage as described below. Any suitable material can be used to make the receptacle 3 which material will be selected by the particular type of material to be stored within the container 1 and its method of storage, heating and/or cooling and use. It has been found desirable to form the receptacle 3 out of molded plastic either by thermoforming, vacuum forming, injection molding or the like. It is to be understood, that the receptacle 3 could also be formed out of paperboard which can be coated to make the receptacle 3 liquid tight. When the receptacle 3 is generally round in transverse cross sectional shape, the lip 17 is an annular ring. A preferred lip 17 is in the form of an annular ring having a generally flat upper surface 27 and a generally flat lower surface 30 with the lip and its flange 22 extending radially outward from the sidewall 12.

The membrane 4 may be any suitable membrane for example, a polymeric coated metallic foil with the foil having the thickness on the order of about 0.002 to about 0.005 inches. The polymeric coating can be used to prevent contact between the metal and the container contents in the event the metal could cause an off taste if the contents of the container is a food product. The polymeric coating can also provide a means for effecting a heat seal between the receptacle 3 and membrane 4. The outer perimeter 32 of membrane 4, can be generally in the same shape as the outer perimeter of the lip 17. The membrane 4 may also be provided with a finger tab 35 to help facilitate separation of the membrane 4 from the lip 17 after the membrane is attached to the lip. The membrane 4 may be secured to the receptacle 3 at the lip 17 either by heat sealing including sonic welding, conductive or radiant heat, adhesive sealing or any suitable means of attachment of the membrane 4 to the receptacle 3. A zone 40 of attachment extends around the perimeter of the lip 17 to form a hermetic seal between the membrane 4 and the receptacle 3 with the zone of attachment between the inner perimeter 41 of the lip 17 and the outer perimeter 42 of the lip 17. The zone 40 of attachment may include substantially the entirety of the upper surface 27 portion of the lip 17 between the inner and outer perimeters 41, 42, respectively, particularly in the case of a flat topped lip. However, the size and location of the zone 40 of attachment will be determined by the particular lip configuration and size and the effectiveness of the attachment between the membrane 4 and the lip 17. In the case of a round container, the zone of attachment will preferably be in the form of a ring extending completely about the lip 17. The membrane 4, when secured to the receptacle 3, is generally planar.

The lid 5 as shown, is in the form of an overcap and has an open end or side 51 and a closed end or side 52 with the closed end being closed with a closure panel 53 that may assume any suitable shape and contour. In a preferred embodiment, an upstanding rim 55 can be provided to facilitate stacking of one container 1 upon another container 1 with the rim 55 generally fixing the position of the upper container to the lower container. The panel 53 may be provided with one or more apertures 57 that when in use forms vent holes which may be used to allow venting of the receptacle chamber 20 if the contents are to be heated, for example, in a microwave oven. The rim 55 can be formed by an upstanding portion forming a recess 59 in the lid 5 or may be provided as a separate molded portion projecting upwardly from the panel. The rim 55 may be continuous or in several segments if desired. Preferably, the lid 5 is made of polymeric material however it may be formed of paperboard which may be coated or may be made from a combination of materials. In a preferred embodiment, the lid 5 is provided with a skirt 61 that depends from the panel 53 having an interior perimeter sized and shaped generally similar to the exterior perimeter 42 of the lip 17. The skirt 61 is preferable continuous about the outer perimeter of the lid 5 and extends below the lower surface 62 of the panel 53.

Attachment elements are provided that provide cooperative interengagement to releasably mount the lid 5 to the receptacle 3 in overlying relationship to the membrane 4. In the illustrated embodiment, there is a radially inwardly extending rib 70 on the inside surface 71 of the skirt 61 having a generally upwardly facing shoulder 73. The receptacle 3, has a generally downwardly facing shoulder 75 which may be a lower portion of the lip 17. The shoulders 73, 75 are interengageable to releasably mount the lid 5 to the receptacle 3. The material of the receptacle 3 and lid 5 are deformable, and preferably resiliently deformable, such that the lid 5 and/or the lip 17 may be resiliently or otherwise deformed to move the skirt 61 past the lip 17 and the shoulder 73 past the shoulder 75 for removal of the lid 5. In the illustrated structure, the lip 17 includes the outwardly extending flange or rib 22. It is to be understood, that a second rib could be provided on the receptacle 3 to interengage with the rib 70 of the lid 5. The lid 5 may be removed from the receptacle 3 by a person engaging the inner portion of the skirt with their finger and pulling upwardly and perhaps also outwardly to effect removal of the lid. Installation of the lid 5 may be accomplished by having a tapered lead in 80 on the lower portion of the skirt 61 and because at least one of the lid 5 and the receptacle 3 is resiliently deformable, a simple axially directed force may be applied to the lid 5 and/or the receptacle 3 to effect mounting of the lid 5 to the receptacle 3. Prior to mounting the lid 5 to the receptacle 3, the membrane 4 is suitably secured to the receptacle 3 as for example by heat bonding, e.g., sonic welding, adhesive securement or the like.

The lid 5 is provided with a downwardly extending rib member 82 which may be in the form of an annular ring. The rib 82 may be continuous or segmented and extends about a substantial portion of the mouth 20 and preferably the entirety of the mouth 20. The rib 82 is preferably part of and preferably an integral molded part of the lid 5 and has a proximal end 81 secured to the panel 53 and a distal end 83 that is free and engageable with the membrane 4 adjacent the attachment zone 40. Preferably, the distal end 83 overlies a portion of the lip 17, and is preferably over the attachment zone 40 or radially inside of the attachment zone 40. As illustrated, there is a groove or gap 85 between the exterior wall 86 of the rib 82 and the interior surface 87 of the skirt 61. This allows for flexure of the panel 53 between the skirt 61 and the rib 82 to help facilitate installation and removal of the lid 5 from the receptacle 3. However, to keep the amount of material in the panel reduced, while still providing sufficient resistance to flexure of the panel between the rib and the skirt, gussets 90 are provided. As shown, the gussets 90 are in the form of generally radially extending fins which are preferably an integral part of the panel 53 and the interior of the skirt 61. Another end of the gussets 90 may be attached to an exterior surface of the rib 82. The gussets 90 can re-direct a side impact force on the skirt 61 and hence lip 17 so as to protect the seal between the membrane 4 and the lip 17. Preferably the lid and all of its components are an integrally molded structure and can be made of polyethylene, polypropylene and the like. The gussets 90 may be spaced apart on the order of about ⅜ inch to about 1 inch, center to center, as measured at their radially outward ends adjacent the skirt 61.

The present invention is better understood by a description of its operation. See FIG. 5 for an example. The receptacle is formed as by injection molding and may be provided with graphics such as brand, product, net weight and the like on an exterior surface as by printing or through the use of a separate label attached to the receptacle. The lid 5 is suitably formed as by injection molding. The membrane 4 is also suitably formed as for example by coating a metallic layer with polymeric material. The outer perimeter shape of the membrane 4 can be formed as by die cutting. The receptacles 3 are transferred along a filling line and the contents for the receptacle deposited within the interior chamber 20 with a suitable depositor. The receptacle 3 is then transferred to a membrane attaching station. At the membrane attaching station, a membrane 4 is taken from a supply of membranes and moved into position over the open mouth 18 of the receptacle 3 with outer margin portion of the membrane overlying the lip 17 at least in the attachment zone 40. Adhesive, may be applied to the lip if the membrane is to be adhesively secured to the receptacle. However, it is to be understood that the adhesive could also be applied to the membrane 4 instead of the lip 17 or in addition to being applied to the lip. The membrane 4 is then attached to the receptacle 3 as with the adhesive or the alternative through the application of heat to effect the bonding as is known in the art. The tab 35 is preferably positioned outside of the outer perimeter of the lip 17 and may be easily folded down over the lip 17 either before or during application of the lid 5. The thus filled and sealed containers 1 are transferred to a capping station where the lids 5 are then attached to the receptacles 3. The lids 5 may be stored in a magazine at the capping station, removed from the magazine and the applied to a respective receptacle as with a positioning and pressing device. The skirt 61 interior is aligned with the outer perimeter of the lip 17 and through the application of an axially directed force, the lid 5 is applied to its receptacle 3 with the shoulders 73, 75 then interengaging. The tapered lead in 80 facilitates centering of the lid 5 relative to the lip 17 and receptacle 3. The thus finished and filled container 1 may be transferred to storage in shipping containers or to a bulk storage area. The consumer in use of the container, will remove the lid 5 and then the membrane 4 either by breaking the bond between the membrane 4 and the receptacle 3 or may remove the membrane by cutting the membrane adjacent the sidewall of the receptacle 3. The lid 5 may be then replaced on the receptacle by the user to effect heating of the contents. The apertures 57 provide venting for any steam generated during heating. The contents of the receptacle may also be consumed without heating if desired. The receptacle 3 may be used as a serving dish for the contents if desired. If the product is to be heated, the materials of the receptacle preferably are heat resistant to the anticipated heating temperature of the product with a safety factor included in the softening temperature of the material comprising the receptacle. Preferably, the lid 5 is also heat resistant. During shipping and handling, the rib 82 helps ensure that the membrane 4 remains attached to the receptacle 3 in the attachment zone 40 by applying a downward force should a force be applied to the membrane to urge its separation from the lip 17. The rib 82 is preferably in constant contact with the membrane 4 during shipping and handling.

Thus, there has been shown and described several embodiments of a novel invention. As is evident from the foregoing description, certain aspects of the present invention are not limited by the particular details of the examples illustrated herein, and it is therefore contemplated that other modifications and applications, or equivalents thereof, will occur to those skilled in the art. The terms “having” and “including” and similar terms as used in the foregoing specification are used in the sense of “optional” or “may include” and not as “required”. Many changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications of the present construction will, however, become apparent to those skilled in the art after considering the specification and the accompanying drawings. All such changes, modifications, variations and other uses and applications which do not depart from the spirit and scope of the invention are deemed to be covered by the invention which is limited only by the claims which follow. 

1. A container comprising: a receptacle having a lip defining an open mouth with first securement element; a membrane closure secured to the receptacle in covering relationship to the mouth and overlying an upper portion of the lip; and a lid having a second securement element cooperatively interengageable with the first securement element to removably secure the lid to the receptacle, said lid including a rib extending from a top panel toward an open end of the lid and being sized and shaped to engage the membrane at the lip about at least a substantial portion of the mouth, said lid having a top panel opposite the open end at least substantially closing the lid on one end.
 2. The container of claim 1 wherein the lid including a peripheral outer skirt spaced outwardly of the rib and extending from the top panel generally in the same direction as the rib, said rib and skirt defining a groove therebetween.
 3. The container as set forth in claim 2 wherein the lid including a plurality of fins in the groove and extending between and connected to the panel and the skirt, said fins being spaced apart about an outer peripheral portion of the panel.
 4. The container as set forth in claim 3 wherein the fins each extending generally radially.
 5. The container as set forth in claim 2 including at least one aperture through the panel and positioned inwardly of the rib.
 6. The container as set forth in claim 2 wherein the membrane being heat sealed to the lip.
 7. The container as set forth in claim 2 wherein the membrane being adhesively secured to the lip.
 8. The container as set forth in claim 2 wherein the membrane being secured to the lip in an attachment zone extending about the lip on an upper surface thereof, said rib having a distal end engaging the membrane in the attachment zone.
 9. The container as set forth in claim 8 wherein the first securement element including a generally downwardly facing first shoulder and the second securement element including a generally upwardly facing second shoulder and engageable with the first shoulder.
 10. The container as set forth in claim 9 wherein said first and second shoulders extending about the receptacle and lid respectively. 